By Godfred A. Polkuu
Googo (U/E), Jan. 23, GNA -The Haven of Love Children’s Foundation, a Christian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), has organized a funfair for children and their parents at Googo, a community in the Bawku West District in the Upper East Region.
The funfair brought about 1000 children and their parents together to mark the Foundation’s final programme for the year 2024 with the aim to share the love of Christ and address educational, health and social needs within the community.
The participants were engaged in fun-filled games such as sack race, egg and spoon competition, eating contests and spelling competition for pupils from lower primary to the Junior High School level.
Apart from the funfair, leadership of the Foundation, led by its Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Samuel Nana Bekai Djirackor, distributed clothes to the children, and offered them refreshment with the sense of love and care.
The Foundation also renewed invalid National Health Insurance cards for the children, educated them on how to live healthy lifestyles, and engaged their parents in mentorship sessions to enable them in turn mentor their children to grow into responsible citizens.
The CEO, in his address at the programme, expressed gratitude to leaders and stakeholders in the community for the opportunity to serve them, and emphasized the Foundation’s mission to demonstrate God’s love and support for rural communities with sustainable programmes.
“This is a time to give back and make a difference in the lives of others, just as God has done for us through Christ,” Mr Djirackor, winner of the Joy News Impact Makers Award for health and social welfare, said.
He said the Foundation, based in the Kusang area, would continue to positively impact lives in Bawku West District through its diverse initiatives, and recalled that the Foundation had over the years undertaken several initiatives in the education and health sectors.
Mr Philip Akparibo, a Senior PhysicianAssistant (PA) at the Teshie Health Centre in the District, who schooled participants on Hepatitis ‘B’, said it was a viral disease that affected the liver.
He said even though there were five types of the hepatitis viruses including type A, C, D and E, the ‘B’ virus was the most predominate type.
The PA noted that unlike malaria, which was commonly known among members of the public, it was not the same with hepatitis, and stressed the need for more education on the disease.
He further explained that the hepatitis ‘B’ virus mode of transmission was through body fluids, especially blood contact with an infected person and through unprotected sexual intercourse.
Mr Akparibo said the disease was detected through laboratory investigation, and that a negative result would require jabs of the hepatitis ‘B’ vaccine for protection against the virus.
“If a person happens to test positive for hepatitis ‘B’, it does not mean that it is the end of life. The person would undertake the hepatitis ‘B’ profile test to determine whether he or she is a chronic or acute carrier of the virus,” he said.
He explained that persons with acute form of the virus needed to visit a hospital where they would be managed with antiviral medications after thorough medical examination and further laboratory investigations.
“But if a person is a chronic carrier, he or she needs to stay off certain life habits such as alcohol consumption, consumption of counter medications such as paracetamol and herbal medications without prescription, which can easily reactivate the virus,” he said.
Mr Akparibo encouraged participants at the programme to visit health facilities and get tested to know their hepatitis ‘B’ status and thanked leadership of the NGO for the initiative to organize the programme in the community.
GNA